Management and behavioral factors associated with rehoming outcomes of dogs retired from commercial breeding kennels

Research question: Do retired breeding dogs have difficulty adjusting from the kennel to a home?

Methods

Assessment of:

• Behavior and health of 590 dogs
• Management practices in 30 commercial breeding kennels

Survey of 32 adopters of retired breeding dogs

Results

• Most dogs were friendly when an experimenter approached……but became more fearful when the experimenter moved to open their pen or touch them.
• Overall, dogs were healthy and clean. Around 18% had eye discharge and 25%of dogs were overweight.
• When there were fewer dogs for each caretaker to care for, dogs scored better on behavior and health assessments.
• Most breeders offered their dogs exercise, enrichment and puppy socialization. Socialization of adult dogs and training were less common.
• All adopters were satisfied with their new dog. More than 73% said the dog was exceeding their expectations.
• Dogs who were more friendly in the kennel were more trainable and less fearful in the home.

Research Takeaways

• Overall, the dogs in the study were healthy and friendly.
• Kennel management can have positive impacts: Fewer dogs for each person to care for was associated with better dog behavior and health.
• Dogs who were friendly in the kennel tended to be more trainable and friendly in the home.
• Adopters’ satisfaction with their new dogs was high.